JP2002144919A - Attachment structure of design cover - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an attachment structure of a design cover that shares similar parts with another, reduces the number of dies and can reduce the cost of manufacturing. SOLUTION: Engagement openings 20c formed in flanges 20b of a design cover 20 are fixedly engaged with engaging tongues 18c formed on protrusion bodies 18b of protrusions 18 inserted in the inner wall surface side of the design cover. The design cover 20 is resultantly fixed completely independently of the inner wall surface of an opening 12a of a housing 12. The design cover 20 can be thus used, for example, as a design cover for a switch required to slide in the housing 12, so that both design covers can share the same construction and that dies for the design covers can share the same construction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improved design cover mounting structure, particularly a design cover mounting structure including a design cover that can be shared with similar parts.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a panel unit in which an operation switch for operating an electronic device and an indicator light for displaying an operation state of the electronic device are collectively arranged. In particular, a panel unit used around a vehicle driver's seat where a large number of operation switches and indicator lights need to be arranged in a limited space requires efficient arrangement of the operation switches and indicator lights and excellent design. . Further, the design of the panel unit as a whole when the operation switches and the indicator lights are arranged is also required.

[0003] For example, as an indicator light arranged on a panel unit of a vehicle, there is an indicator light for confirming a seat belt as shown in FIG. This indicator light 100 is
The design cover 104 is attached to the opening formed in the cover 2. Specifically, as shown in FIG.
A design cover 104 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is inserted into an opening 102 a formed in the housing 102. In the example of FIG. 3, the tip of the design cover 104 contacts the rib 102 b formed in the opening 102 a of the housing 102, and the design cover 104 is positioned.
The fixed holding is performed by the friction between the inner wall surface of 2a and the side surface of the design cover 104. A substrate 106 is fixed to the rear surface of the housing 102, and can be illuminated from the rear side of the design cover 104 by a bulb 108 disposed on the substrate. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, “PAS” is formed on the surface of the design cover 104 with a transparent member.
If characters such as "SENGER" and a seat belt wearing mark are formed, a warning can be displayed to a driver or the like by turning on the valve 108 when necessary.

A switch 110 as shown in FIG. 4 has the same surface shape as that of the indicator light 100 shown in FIG. 3, but has a different function.

The switch 110 is also used as the indicator light 100 in FIG.
Similarly, the opening 112 formed in the housing 112
The design cover 114 is attached to a. In the case of the switch 110, the switch 110 has an intermediate member 120 that presses the switch element 118 on the substrate 116 disposed on the back surface of the housing 112 by a pressing operation, and the design cover 114 is attached to the intermediate member 120.
The design cover 114 can be easily opened 11 by the pressing operation.
Since it is necessary to be able to move inside 2a in the depth direction, it is necessary to arrange with a gap between the inner wall of the opening 112a. Therefore, the design cover 114 is fixed by the engagement claws 120a on the intermediate member 120 side.
The rib 112b on the inner wall surface of the housing 112 presses the intermediate member 120 from above to prevent the intermediate member 120 from falling off. in this way,
Various types of switches 110 can be configured by selectively mounting the design cover 114 on which characters and marks corresponding to the functions operated by the switch element 118 are formed on the intermediate member 120 even if the internal structure of the switches 110 is common. can do.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, by making the indicator lamp 100 and the switch 110 have the same surface shape, the design of each component of the panel unit can be unified. Further, the design balance of the entire panel unit can be improved, and the operability can be improved.

[0007]

However, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the design cover 104 of the indicator light 100 and the design cover 114 of the switch 110 have the same surface.
Since the mounting structures for the housings 102 and 112 are different, it is necessary to use different molds for molding.

In some cases, it is necessary to set a right-hand drive vehicle and a left-hand drive vehicle. In such a case, the design cover 104 of the indicator light 100 and the switch 110
If the surface of the design cover 114 is flat as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be used for a right-hand drive vehicle or a left-hand drive vehicle without distinction. There is a tendency that emphasis is placed on the characteristics and the visibility of characters and marks on the surface, and in many cases, the surface is formed of a curved surface, an inclined surface, or the like. Further, in many cases, the entire arrangement of each of the indicator lights 100 and the switches 110 forms a curved surface or an inclination. In such a case, it is necessary to turn the curved surface or the inclined surface of the design cover toward a user such as a driver, and therefore, it is necessary to prepare two types of dies for a right-hand drive vehicle and a left-hand drive vehicle. Accordingly, as described above, it is necessary to prepare the indicator lamp 100 and the switch 110, and further, it is necessary to prepare a mold according to the handle specifications. As a result, although a similar design cover is formed, a plurality of types of dies are required, and there is a problem that the cost is increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to share similar parts, reduce the number of dies, and reduce the manufacturing cost by an easy method. It is an object of the present invention to provide a design cover mounting structure that can be mounted.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention comprises a housing capable of housing components therein, and a design cover mounted in an opening formed in the housing. A mounting structure for a design cover, wherein the design cover has a substantially U-shaped cross-section having a design surface and a pair of flanges extending in a depth direction of the opening. A housing having a flange-side engaging portion that engages with a part thereof, wherein the housing is freely insertable into the inner wall of the design cover having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and is engageable with the flange-side engaging portion; It has a projection having an engagement portion.

According to this configuration, the flange-side engaging portion formed on the flange of the design cover is engaged with and fixed to the housing-side engaging portion formed on the housing inserted into the inner wall surface side. Therefore, the design cover can be used, for example, as a design cover for a switch or the like that requires sliding with respect to the housing, and the design cover can be shared. That is, it is possible to share the mold for the design cover.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides
In the above configuration, the protrusion is extended to near the back surface of the design surface of the design cover.

According to this configuration, it is possible to favorably and sufficiently support the design cover independent of the inner wall of the opening of the housing.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment (hereinafter referred to as an embodiment) of a design cover mounting structure of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a design cover mounting structure 10 of the present embodiment. In this embodiment, the housing 12 of the design cover attaching structure 10 includes a substrate 16 on which a lighting bulb 14 and the like are mounted on the back side, as in FIG. The housing 12 is formed of, for example, resin and has an opening 12a in which a valve 14 as a component can be stored. At least two protrusions 18 are formed on the inner wall surface of the opening 12a. The base 18a protrudes from the inner wall surface of the opening 12a toward the center of the opening 12a by a predetermined distance (slightly wider than the thickness of a flange of a design cover described later).
And a projection body 18b extending from the base 18a toward the opening surface of the opening 12a. Further, the projection main body 18b is formed with an engagement claw 18c as a housing-side engagement portion protruding toward the inner wall surface of the opening 12a.

On the other hand, in the design cover mounting structure 10 of the present embodiment, the design cover 20 is mounted so as to cover the opening 12 a of the housing 12. The design cover 20 is also formed by resin molding or the like, and has a substantially U-shaped cross section including a design surface 20a and a pair of flanges 20b extending in the depth direction of the opening 12a. On the design surface 20a, desired characters and marks are formed by a light transmitting member or the like as in the related art, and the bulb 14 mounted on the substrate 16 is formed.
, And the front side of the design surface 20a emits light. The flange 20b has an engagement opening 20c as a flange-side engagement portion that engages with an engagement claw 18c formed on the projection main body 18b of the projection 18 that is a part of the housing 12. .

Therefore, the flange 20b of the design cover 20
Insert the projection main body 18b of the housing 12 into the inner wall side of
Engagement claw 18c formed on projection main body 18b and flange 2
The design cover 20 can be easily and accurately attached to the housing 12 by engaging the engagement opening 20c with the engagement opening 20b. In FIG. 1, the tip of the projection main body 18 b extends near the back surface of the design surface 20 a of the design cover 20 (preferably until it contacts). By increasing the contact area between the projection body 18b and the flange 20b of the design cover 20, the engagement stability of the design cover 20 can be improved. If the back surface of the design surface 20a and the protrusion main body 18b are in contact with each other, the stability of fixing the design cover 20 to the housing 12 is further improved.

As shown in FIG. 1, the design cover 20 is fixed to the projection 18 of the housing 12, but is not directly connected to the main body 12b of the housing 12. That is, the design cover 20 can be fixed to the projection 18 in the same state as the state where the design cover 20 is attached to the intermediate member 120 shown in FIG. Therefore, the base 18 of the projection 18
a by adjusting the amount of protrusion of the intermediate member 120 to be the same as the outer dimension of the intermediate member 120, and by setting the formation position and size of the engagement claw 18c of the projection 18 to be the same as the engagement claw 120a of the intermediate member 120. The design cover 20 can be used as the design cover 114 of the switch 110 shown in FIG. That is, it is possible to form the design cover 114 for the switch 110 and the design cover 20 of the indicator lamp 10 with the same mold, and it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost.

When the design cover 20 configured as described above is used as the design cover 114 of the switch 110, characters and marks are formed on the design surface 20a by using a light transmitting member, so that it can be used for individual purposes. Can respond. Also, since the design cover for the switch and the design cover for the indicator light can be shared, even if the vehicle requires a panel unit for the left handle and the right handle, regardless of whether it is for the switch or the indicator light, It is only necessary to prepare a mold for the left handle and a mold for the right handle with respect to the common design cover, and it is possible to avoid a large number of molds having similar shapes.

Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the design surface 20a is a flat surface, the design surface 20a may be a curved surface or an inclined surface. FIG. 1 shows a case in which the housing 12 and the projection 18 have an integral structure. However, if the design cover 20 can be substantially fixed to the housing 12, the housing 12 and the projection 18 are not necessarily required. It doesn't have to be one. For example, the projection 18 may be provided on the housing 12.
May be fixed by means such as an engaging claw or an adhesive.

[0021]

As described above, the flange-side engaging portion formed on the flange of the design cover is engaged with and fixed to the housing-side engaging portion formed on the housing inserted into the inner wall surface side. Can be. Therefore, the design cover can be used, for example, as a design cover for a switch or the like that requires sliding with respect to the housing, and the design cover can be shared. That is, the mold for the design cover can be shared, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, the parts can be shared, and the production efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a design cover mounting structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a design cover of an indicator light arranged on a panel unit.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a mounting structure of a design cover of a conventional indicator light.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a mounting structure of a conventional switch design cover.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Design cover mounting structure, 12 Housing, 12
a opening, 12b housing body, 14 valves,
16 substrate, 18 protrusion, 18a base, 18b protrusion main body, 18c engagement claw, 20 design cover, 20a
Design surface, 20b flange, 20c engagement opening.

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 3D044 BA03 BA04 BA13 BB01 BC13 BD05 3K040 CA01 FA06 GA05 HA02 5C096 AA27 BA01 BB27 BB28 BB31 BB32 BB35 CA02 CA13 CA28 CA32 CB01 CC12 DA01 DB36 FA11

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A housing capable of storing components therein,
A design cover attached to an opening formed in the housing, the design cover comprising: a design surface; a design surface; and a pair of extending in a depth direction of the opening. The flange has a substantially U-shaped cross section having a flange, and the flange has a flange-side engaging portion that engages with a part of the housing. The housing has an inner wall side having a substantially U-shaped cross section of the design cover. A mounting structure for a design cover, comprising: a projection having a housing-side engaging portion capable of being inserted into the flange-side engaging portion and being freely insertable into the flange-side engaging portion. 2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the projecting portion extends to near a back surface of a design surface of the design cover.